Song of the South Original and Limited Edition Art (1946)

Song of the South is a 1946 American live-action and animated musical film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures , based on the Uncle Remus stories collected by Joel Chandler Harris. It was Disney's first feature film using live actors, who provide a sentimental frame story for several animated segments. The film depicts the character Uncle Remus, presumably a former slave, cheerfully relating to several children, including the film's protagonist, the folk tales of the adventures of anthropomorphic Br'er Rabbit and his enemies, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. The film's song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" won the 1947 Academy Award for Best Song, is frequently used as part of Disney's montage themes, and has become widely used in popular culture. James Baskett was given an honorary Academy Award in 1948 for his portrayal of Uncle Remus; the first Oscar (although an honorary one) to a male African-American actor. The film inspired the Disney theme park attraction Splash Mountain. The film's depiction of black former slaves, and of race relations in Reconstruction-Era Georgia, has been controversial since its original release, with a number of critics — at the time of its release and in later decades — describing it as racist. Consequently it has never been released in its entirety on home video in the United States. Click here for more about Song of the South!